North-East Benefits from 'Cashback for Communities' Scheme by £5.5million

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed figures which show that the North-east has received nearly £5.5million from the Scottish Government’s ‘Cashback for Communities’ scheme.

The scheme is a Scottish Government programme which takes funds recovered from the proceeds of crime and invests them into free activities and programmes for young people across Scotland. Up to March 2015, £5.5million recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act has been committed to the Cashback for Communities Programme and other community initiatives in the North-east. The total number of activities the programme has funded in the North-east is over 250,000.

Mr Stevenson raised the issue with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice at Question Time in Parliament. He said:

“I very much welcome the £5.5 million that has been recycled from the pockets of criminals for the benefit of the public good in North East Scotland, as has happened elsewhere in Scotland.”

Commenting afterwards, Mr Stevenson continued:

“We should be rightly proud of the unique Cashback for Communities scheme, seizing the proceeds of crime from the criminal elements in our society and turning that round and using that money for the benefit of young people and youth groups locally.”